Chording Circles
by thirteenxwishes
Summary: Charged with the protection of an item important not only to his life but to the existence of the world as he knows it, Lord Sesshoumaru finds himself facing a small problem. Her name is Kagome - and he really isn't expecting her. At all. S/K, AU


**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, I'm only playing in the sandbox.

_A/N_: Once again, no idea where this came from. It was sitting fully formed on my laptop and I just did a little extra editing while I had the time. Un-beta'd; all mistakes are mine and will earn cookies if pointed out. Including clunky phrases. ^^

Warning: Swearing. Lots of it. Inuyasha has his potty mouth.

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•

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**•∞ Chording Circles ∞•**  
_thirteenxwishes_

**Full Summary**: The House of the West has learnt to live alongside humans - but there is one task they aren't quite willing to relinquish to the whims of their mortal counterparts. Charged with the discovery and protection of an item important not only to their lives and the lives of others, but to the existence of the world as they know it, Lord Sesshoumaru (and his reluctant 'heir') find themselves facing a small problem. Her name is Kagome - and they really, _really_ aren't expecting her. At all.

Our story begins in the middle - with an e-mail conversation. And an argument. Predictably.

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••

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**From: **Western House  
**Sent: **29th May 2009, 01:22  
**To: **Western Flat  
**Cc: **Club Moon

**Subject: **[blank]

We have a lead. I expect you at the house no later than 9AM tomorrow morning. If you are not in my office by this time, I _will_ leave without you.

S.

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 02:41  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Bastard, you knew I was working at the club tonight - and you still want me to get up at that goddamn hour to come on one of your fucking wild goose chases? You better be right this time, or I'll damn well shove Tetsusaiga up your ass.

**From: **Western House  
**Sent: **29th May 2009, 02:44  
**To: **Western Flat

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Do what you will. Our mighty father would not bear the indignity of his fang being used in such a way. This lead is certain.

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 02:46  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

The fuck it is. You said that last time, and that trip was a crock of shit.

**From:** Western House  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 02:50  
**To:** Western Flat

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

The swamp was a miscalculation. The kitsune assures me that the new area is correct.

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 02:55  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Hell, since when is Shippou ever right?

**From: **Western House  
**Sent: **29th May 2009, 02:59  
**To: **Western Flat

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Discounting the swamp, since when has he been wrong?

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 03:05  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Fuck it. If we don't get it this time, I'm out. The old man said we were supposed to protect the damn thing... I'm starting to think it's well protected enough as it is if even we can't damn well find it.

**From:** Western House  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 03:11  
**To:** Western Flat

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Need I remind you, brother, the seal will fail. Soon. We must find it before that happens - or be ready to assume possession and protection at the very least. There is no choice for you in this matter.

Do not make me assert my rights as alpha.

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 03:16  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Bastard. I'm going to bed.

**From:** Western House  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 03:19  
**To:** Western Flat

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

A wise choice, Inuyasha. But be sure to remember which of us is the _real_ bastard.

**From:** Western Flat  
**Sent:** 29th May 2009, 03:22  
**To:** Western House

**Subject: **Re:[blank]

Fuck off.

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•••

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"Remind me again why the hell I'm doing this?"

Sesshoumaru pinched the bridge of his nose and said nothing. He noted bleakly that the expanse of green surrounding them was still disturbingly wide. And endless. And - rather conspicuously - empty.

_'The kitsune will die if we ever find civilisation again. I would rather fall on Bakusaiga than admit my knowledge was inadequate. Inuyasha would never let me hear the end of it.'_

In fact, there were no words to describe how very much he didn't want to spend an eternity wandering through the Japanese countryside with only Inuyasha for company. This idea was so horrifying that it forced him to quicken his pace in the vain hope that their theoretical destination may somehow inch itself nearer - either by his physical efforts or the mere influence of his supreme will. Because he was the Western Lord, and the Earth would rearrange itself for him at a moment's notice should he so choose.

Unfortunately, the Earth appeared to prefer being uncooperative. And so he was forced to exert himself to reach their goal, as opposed to their goal exerting itself to come to him. How very irritating.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru - slow down already!"

Speaking of irritation...

"Look, the damn thing isn't here. Accept it, move on. Time to go home."

"There is still a large area left to search."

"Yeah. You're in denial." Inuyasha smirked, one hand resting easily at Tetsusaiga's concealed hilt. "You just don't want to admit that you've got it wrong. Again."

That merited some kind of response. He settled for a quick snarl, a flash of teeth which had his brother tilting his head and baring his throat to Sesshoumaru's cool inspection.

"Keh. Just because I'm right."

Sometimes, Inuyasha really did live up to his bastard status.

"Silence. Concentrate on the task at hand. We do not return to Tokyo until we are certain it is not here."

"... I hope you brought a tent. I'd better phone the club, too - tell them I won't be working the bar for the next few weeks or so because my-"

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

They lapsed into a fractious quiet, the only sound being the odd squelch of their footsteps against the wet path. Some distance later, they passed a gaggle of human children walking the other way - with them, a few inuyoukai. Still pups, but certainly old enough to respect their leaders. They stopped to bow, black and silver and vivid red hair catching the sun and their murmurs of 'Sesshoumaru-sama'. He acknowledged them with a nod and kept walking. By their scent, they were from one of the outlying packs. Siblings, perhaps, possibly cousins. They seemed strong and healthy - it pleased him inordinately to know that the smaller clans were still the most impressive amongst all youkai groups in the area.

Inuyoukai were thriving.

He caught Inuyasha's smirk as the human children turned to gape after them before proceeding to bombard their friends with rapid-fire questions - mostly 'Was that really Taisho Sesshoumaru?' and 'Do you know him?' The group were soon out of earshot, receding over the horizon. Inuyasha snorted, obviously caught between amusement and exasperation at the extent of his brother's influence.

"Looks like the laws are still holding up outside the cities."

Ah. Was this a sign of a conversation worth having? Could it be possible? He decided to investigate.

"Indeed. I would have been alerted if there were problems with inter-race relations out here."

"Yeah, yeah. But admit it, Sesshoumaru - you thought the treaty really was going to fall through after the last attack."

He sniffed. That week had been hellish even by his standards and diplomatic negotiations with the human First Minister only made things worse. He'd never had the displeasure of dealing with such a hypocritical man in his entire life. The humans he remembered at the first signing of the edict had been perfectly reasonable. Maybe even passably tolerable for inferior creatures.  
Obviously, one hundred and forty one years of living in society alongside youkai had bred arrogance and complacency, to the point where their leader would rather demand a higher percentage of trade agreements than discuss the reasoning behind the brutal murder of a young girl by a rogue.

"There was never a possibility of the youkai community being endangered by the arrangement. Humans may have superior numbers, but it is only a sign that they are a lesser species."

"Wasn't talking about that, though, was I?"

Before he had chance to answer Inuyasha with a blistering put-down worthy of his reputation, something happened to give Sesshoumaru pause. The air rippled. Only slighty - probably unnoticeable to all but the keenest senses. It was a murmur of power, the equivalent of a child stirring in sleep. And it made his lips curve in a rare show of triumph.

The smile immediately made Inuyasha uneasy.

"... what is it?"

"Hn. The kitsune may still retain his life upon our return."

"You felt it?"

"Yes."

Inuyasha smirked, eyes gleaming.

"What the hell are we waiting for, then!"

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••••

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The miles blurred beneath his feet, grass giving way easily as he followed that distant trace of power. It was fading, yes, but not fast enough to escape _him_. Inuyasha's youki was steady at his left, the quiet sizzle of anticipation translating across the gap between them and mirroring the burn of his own aura at the thought of reaching the end of this endless quest. Almost five centuries spent searching fruitlessly... and now it might finally be over. They would be able to assume their rightful duty as protectorates and all would be well in the world.

He could get back to doing what he did best - cutting throats in the boardroom.

Over the howl of the wind, he caught the pulse again. Closer. Stronger too, finally obvious enough for Inuyasha to pick up with his hanyou senses.

"Shit. You're right, it's here."

"As if I would be incorrect."

"Keh. Cocky bastard."

They sped up; flat land buckled and broke into hills. Trees sprouted and twisted across the horizon. A lake flashed by in rush of silver and blue, stretching out into a river which wound alongside them for a mile or two before it veered away towards the larger plains, far distant. All of this Sesshoumaru was acutely aware of - and more, the shift of the clouds in the sky, bloated with water. The heat of the sun swathing the ground. The buzz of insects, their movements on the dusty earth as it turned perpetually through space.

But above all, there was the overriding hum of energy - life - and the flickering signal lying ahead, pulling them in like cautious planets orbiting a star. It wasn't long before they were slowing to a stop at the foot of a large incline.

The air was charged with something he couldn't quite identify. And if there was one thing in the world that Sesshoumaru Taisho hated above all, it was not knowing something.

Inuyasha was blessedly silent, eyes trained on the ridge where land met sky.

"Looks like we're going up."

"Indeed."

The steep climb was relatively easy with his youkai speed. His brother, however, was not so happy. By the time he reached the plateau at the top, his temper was clearly approaching boiling point.

"Sonofabitch, if the fucker isn't up here-"

Sesshoumaru found it prudent to forestall any potential outburst before it began. His abused ears were very much in agreement - they'd had enough of Inuyasha and his mouth for one day.

"I assure you, brother. The Shikon is here."

He was certain. This felt like the centre; some deep-buried instinct spoke of balance, of youki and reiki and all the shades in between. The hanyou was more sceptical.

"Where is it, then?"

The look he threw at Inuyasha was distinctly deadpan. The hanyou scowled, glancing around at the empty landscape. There was nothing but grass - grass and what looked like a pile of rotting wood, and beyond that-

"Ah."

Silence.

"You think the tree?"

"Yes."

The tree in question was ancient; it towered over them, alone in the landscape with branches wide and sprawling across the hazy morning sky. Like them, it was unchanged - it had seen the march of time, the wars, the peace and the integration, the emergence of the modern age of careful tolerance...

Almost enough to make him feel nostalgic.

Sesshoumaru looked up from his faraway thoughts at a flare of youki. Inuyasha was busy inspecting the trunk, Tetsusaiga sans-concealment spell grasped between both hands. As he approached, the air around the tree took on all the qualities of a heat haze; it shimmered lazily in the shadows of the summer day.

"A barrier."

Inuyasha shot him a flat look, as if to say '_well, duh_.' But the Western Lord soon had his brother hastily bearing his throat as he stalked casually over to the perimeter of the barrier in a whisper of silk. One look did it all.

"Inuyasha."

"Yeah, yeah - I'm getting to it, already!"

Tetsusaiga flared bloody crimson against the cornflower sky. Its downward swing sent wayward birds scattering; sparks flew as it made contact with the surface of the barrier. Inuyasha grunted, baring his fangs.

"Shit. There's reiki in this thing. It must be the Shikon-!"

With an audible crunch the barrier gave way beneath the might of the blade - but it didn't want to go easily. The force expelled from its collapse sent Inuyasha sprawling, tumbling backwards into a ungainly pile in the grass. Sesshoumaru set aside his smug humour at seeing his sibling with his legs wrapped around his own neck and stepped forwards again, eyes sharp as the shards of the barrier fell away.

As each piece dissolved, the sharpness faded into something resembling surprise.

Inuyasha got his feet, grumbling, and stumbled over.

"What?" When there was no answer, he tried again. "Oi, what is it?"

"A girl."

"What?" Inuyasha's ears swivelled as he turned, surprise bleeding from his brother to him as he took in the body pinned to the trunk of the tree. Her hair cascaded down in a curtain of glossy waves, raven-black and hiding her face from their eyes. She was wearing the traditional garb of a miko; midnight blue hakama, stark against the white material of her haori. Her feet were protected by worn tabi socks, covered by the roots of the tree grown to hold her in place. She had no shoes - and an arrow sprouted from the left side of her chest, pinning her like a butterfly inside a glass case.

Sesshoumaru looked on, face schooled back into its perfect mask of composure. Whatever the purpose of the miko-girl, she would be no obstacle to the achievement of their objective. The jewel was theirs to protect - not something to be left hidden inside an old tree in the middle of nowhere.

Inuyasha, however, appeared to be taking their discovery with a little more... spirit.

"Where the hell's the Shikon, then? You said you sensed it." The hanyou frowned. "And as much as I hate to admit it, you ain't wrong often. But don't take that as a compliment - because it isn't!" His reluctant concession was accompanied by an annoyed growl.

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly. His senses centred on a fixed point, certain and unerring.

"Of course I am right. She has the Shikon on her person."

"She does?" The hanyou didn't seem convinced.

He inclined his head,

"Well, let's take it off her then!"

He started forwards - but something in Sesshoumaru made him raise him arm, a silent signal to stop, wait. There was something wrong. He focused intently on the arrow, the muted pulse of the Shikon emanating not from her hands or her clothing, but from... her body?

"Hn... it appears to be..." He paused, affirming his suspicions with another scan of the motionless woman. "Inside her."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Tetsusaiga fell to his side.

"Shit. What do we do?"

And that was the conundrum Sesshoumaru had fallen upon mere seconds before his brother. The edict forbade them from killing humans - and tearing the jewel from her body would certainly spell death for its carrier. Their law of centuries would be broken by one who had been intrinsic in its creation.

Only chaos could come of that.

_'... But who would know?' _His thoughts slipped quietly into his natural darkness, whispering insistent in his ear. _'There was a barrier - none but us realised she was there in the first place, so what's stopping you from killing her for the jewel? She might be dead already. There is an arrow through her chest, and the seal was placed five hundred years ago. She has no family. No kin to miss her. The circumstances are perfect - and base instinct must be indulged sometimes... even for you.'_

His feet edged forwards despite himself. A few moments passed, his mind warring between reason and reflex, necessity and morality. When he spoke, his voice was oddly heavy in the still air.

"We do what we must, Inuyasha."

_'The Western House is charged to protect the Shikon. And now it is finally found, we must take it. For the good of both youkai and human. One life is nothing compared to that.'_

Ivory claws gleamed as they lengthened, brushing the pale skin of her throat beneath the length of hair. Dimly, he registered Inuyasha's protest.

"Sesshoumaru!"

_'It is our right!'_

His other hand came up to curl around the shaft of the arrow, feeling the grain of old wood beneath his palm. The dizzying power of the Shikon surged - a temptation, but not for his own sake. For the House of the West. For peace, and equality.

_'It is necessary!'_

"Hey, Sesshoumaru! What the hell-"

Fingers tightened.

_'Do it!'_

Power escaped on the sigh of the wind; familiar, a brush of fur and the rasp of a fatherly tongue.

_'Sesshoumaru, my son... guard her well.'_

The words seemed to echo, guiding him away from those dark thoughts of bloodshed and obligation. Half-realising what he'd been about to do, Sesshoumaru swore silently and pulled his claws away from her vulnerable throat.

In his other hand, the arrow snapped, age-old seal breaking beneath the weight of his decision.

Feeling the splinters of wood settling into his skin broke him out of his stupor, and he stared down at the blood welling on his palm as if it weren't his own.

"Oi, _Sesshoumaru_!"

He glanced over at Inuyasha. The hanyou was glaring, one hand pointing at the tree. Irritable, he turned back to the sleeping woman - only to find that 'sleeping' wasn't a particularly apt description for her any longer. Blue eyes regarded him warily from beneath a wavy set of bangs and frowning brows. Released power hung about her like a second skin.

When she spoke, her voice was a little raspy but surprisingly sweet.

"Who are you, and what am I doing here?"

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•••••

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∞ _tbc_ ∞  
(I hope.)

Reviews and criticism appreciated - thanks for reading!


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